Devolution

Would-be prime minister has made basic missteps in pitches to Wales, Scotland and Northern IrelandAndy Burnham’s devolution promises are yet to impress sceptical Celtic administrations hoping for a reset with Westminster, sources in Cardiff and Edinburgh have said.Burnham, who is expected to take over from Keir Starmer as prime minister on 20 July, has made much of his support for the devolution of power and resources in England, pledging in an agenda-setting speech last week to make a new “No 10 North” the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Burnham-aligned thinktank calls for devolution of public services including social care, childcare and skillsMayors should be given power over a wide range of public services, including social care, childcare and skills, according to a paper written by one of the people helping shape Andy Burnham’s devolution plans.JP Spencer, the head of devolution policy at the thinktank ThinkLabour, calls for mayors to take control over large parts of service provision in a paper that gives an indication of how the probable next prime minister could seek to shift power out of Whitehall. Continue reading...

• Andy Burnham, the frontrunner to become the next UK Prime Minister, is set to unveil a 10-year economic and devolution plan focused on raising living standards. • Housing Secretary Steve Reed confirmed that Burnham remains committed to the manifesto that secured Keir Starmer's large majority two years ago. • To maintain economic stability, Burnham intends to adhere to Labour’s existing fiscal rules, which include balancing day-to-day spending and reducing national debt.

Caroline Simpson worked closely with Burnham when he was Greater Manchester mayorUK politics live – latest updatesAndy Burnham has asked the current chief executive of the Greater Manchester combined authority to be his deputy chief of staff, leading the new No 10 North, if as expected he becomes prime minister in three weeks’ time.Caroline Simpson, who worked closely with Burnham when he was mayor, will be based in Manchester to oversee the devolution of power and resources across the UK that he promised would transform the country. Continue reading...

• Mayor Andy Burnham is delivering a speech today to outline his strategic plans for devolution and the specific changes he hopes to implement across the country. • The initiative is supported by the 2024 party manifesto, providing the political framework for Burnham to pursue these major structural shifts despite his recent entry into Parliament via a by-election. • This move matters as it seeks to redistribute power from central government to local authorities, potentially altering how public services and regional policies are managed.

• Sunday newspapers are focusing on Andy Burnham's upcoming economic policy speech and the impact of a record-breaking heatwave. • Reports in The Observer indicate that Burnham is "actively considering" bringing David Miliband, the former foreign secretary under Gordon Brown, back into frontline politics. • The coverage highlights Burnham's potential trajectory and influence, specifically regarding his ambitions and what he might implement as prime minister.

Makerfield MP and hopeful prime minister to pledge ‘growth in every postcode’ Good morning. When Keir Starmer became PM, he had published his missions and his first steps, Labour was awash with policy, but some people still felt it was hard to know what his driving motivation was, what was the single big goal he wanted to achieve in politics. Andy Burnham is set to become PM three weeks today and in his case it is easy to answer this question is because he published a book about it in early 2024 with Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool city region mayor, called Head North. They argue that the north of England has lost out because power in the UK is hoarded in the south and they propose a huge rebalancing, achieved by the devolution of decision making and spending away from London, building on some of the work they had been able to achieve as metro mayors.Anyone curious as to what Burnham will do in Downing Street has to start here. The book even includes a 10 point plan, some elements of which will almost certainly be dropped but some of which will be at the core of the Burnham project. Continue reading...